


Reasons to Die

by MaiRayne21



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, And you can't tell me otherwise, Canon-Typical Violence, Dom/sub Undertones, Dominant Erwin Smith, Dominant Hange Zoë, Dork Mike Zacharias, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Erwin Smith Being an Asshole, Erwin Smith Being an Idiot, Erwin Smith Has a Big Dick, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Friends to Lovers, Hange Zoë & Levi Are Best Friends, Hange Zoë Being Hange Zoë, Jealous Levi Ackerman, Levi Ackerman Being an Idiot, Levi Ackerman Has Issues, Levi Ackerman Needs a Hug, Levi Ackerman is a Little Shit, Levi Ackerman is in Denial, Manipulative Erwin Smith, Mike Zacharias Is a Pervert, Multi, Nanaba Is Best Girl, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Nonbinary Hange Zoë, Pervert Erwin Smith, Polyamorous Character, Polyamory, Possessive Behavior, Sassy Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Shy Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, Suicide Notes, Switch Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), The Veterans Are All Perverts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 08:33:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29963694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaiRayne21/pseuds/MaiRayne21
Summary: The world is full of suffering. Whether you're rich, or you're poor, there is suffering. So its no wonder why some would choose to end it for themselves. Harlow was no different, but her methods never end how she wants them to. So, when the opportunity to join the Survey Corps comes to her, she takes it. After all, being titan fodder is an easy path to the end she so craves.She planned on dying on their first expedition. What she didn't plan on was getting attatched to the veterans of the corps.______________I deleted this story and then instantly regretted it. So here's the repost. Nothing has really changed, just how long the chapters are and whats in them. I hope you enjoy.Also this is a slow-ish burn on one side. Some will fall earlier than others.
Relationships: Erwin Smith/Original Female Character(s), Erwin Smith/Reader, Hange Zoë/Original Female Character(s), Hange Zoë/Reader, Levi Ackerman/Erwin Smith/Mike Zacharias/Hange Zoë/Original Female Character(s), Levi Ackerman/Nanaba/Erwin Smith/Mike Zacharias/Hange Zoë, Levi Ackerman/Original Female Character(s), Levi Ackerman/Reader, Mike Zacharias/Original Female Character(s), Mike Zacharias/Reader, Nanaba (Shingeki no Kyojin)/Original Female Character(s), Nanaba (Shingeki no Kyojin)/Reader
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Btw the time-line in this story is a little skewed. Levi has been in the scouts a few years more than he would've been in the cannon time-line, but thats about the only difference.

The survey corps didn't typically handle arrests, but the criminal in question had been effectively evading Military Police for weeks now. So, they had been called in to at least capture them. 

Of course, Commander Erwin had dragged Levi along with him with the squad he had assigned to the job. He wasn't exactly pleased with having to waste time on this, especially because it would be helping the MP's. But, here he was, patrolling the rooftops of a small district on the edge of wall Rose. 

"We need to be careful. Apparently they've gotten ahold of ODM gear from what I'm going to assume is a MP they took down" Erwin spoke from alongside the shorter Captain, the two hopping to another roof in the process. "Its truly disappointing that they couldn't handle this themselves...luckily this district is very small in population."

Levi only gave a curt nod in response, his steely eyes narrowed on the alleyways and streets of the place. The quicker they located this criminal, the faster he could get back to base so they could move on. Unfortunately, all they had to go on was a vauge description. The only sure detail?: They were about Levi's height. Apparently they only really struck at night, or they were out of sight. 

Their crimes weren't gruesome, but multiple people had been put in critical condition due to their actions. Their victims were men, all of which had been beaten within an inch of their lives before being left in the middle of town. It wasn't clear if these men had done anything to deserve what had happened to them, but hopefully their attacker would soon be in custody to answer all the necessary questions. 

A familiar THUD hit Levi's ears, causing him to halt in his tracks. His eyes darted around, quickly finding and locking on a blur that shot into the air. Time seemed to slow as they turned and the shine of a revolver being raised, maroon colored eyes glaring down at the captain as the figure took aim.

"HIT THE DECK" Levi shouted out to Erwin, just as the trigger was pulled. Luckily it missed them both and hit the tiles of the roof. The sound of skin hitting clay tile caused both men to look up, finding their target panting heavily across from them. 

They glared across the gap at the captain and commander, a smirk on their tanned face. Their short chocolate colored hair was tied back out of their face, giving them both a clear view of their features. It wasn't completely clear of their gender just yet, but one thing that was?: they knew what was going on. But one thought kept repeating in Levi's head. 

Those eyes...they were familiar. 

"Are you the one who's been assaulting people in this District?" Erwin called out. Obviously it was, he just wanted to hear how they would respond. It could give them insight into the reasoning behind their actions if they had to take her out instead of bringing her in. 

"Those bastards deserved that. And you'd agree if you knew what they did" The voice was definitely from a female, clearing up the gender question...maybe. 

"If you come with us peacefully, maybe we can clear this up? Just drop the gun" The commander offered a friendly smile, trying to de-escalate the situation. The girl sighed and tossed the silver revolver to the side, just as the rest of the scout squad dropped down on the rooftops around them. 

"Its empty now anyway...cost me my last bullet" she scoffed and glanced around at the people around her. A small crowd of people had gathered beneath them, watching the survey corps stand off with the woman who was the cause of the small bit of chaos in their small town. 

"Surrender now, Brat. You're surrounded" Levi ordered, trying to ignore the thoughts in the back of his head. He watched her carefully as she turned to look out across the district, a calm smirk stretching across her face. "Hey. Don't ignore me" he scowled, taking a step forward. 

Before he could even complete the motion, another blur shot across his view, sweeping the girl up with little resistance. The captain and others quickly registered it as a male, and he was getting away with their suspect. 

"Close call there, Fenrir! Fucking idiot" Levi heard the annoyed shout as he quickly shot himself into pursuit. So she had teammates, and they were exceptional with their gear. As was she, seeing as she quickly pushed herself out of the male's arms and launched herself in the opposite direction that her friend was going. 

The male didn't use the gear as well as she did, but he was good enough to evade the five scouts on his ass. But Levi was more focused on the girl they were meant to be after. 

She was elegant, as if trained for use of the gear. Zipping around corners, ducking into alleyways before shooting back up into the air meters away. The captain himself was the only one keeping up with her. It was the only reason he could get himself above her. 

And before she knew it, his knees connected with her back and shot her into a pile of garbage that had been left outside. If it hadn't been there, her ribs would've been broken, but Levi had calculated it perfectly. He stood up quickly and practically ripped the ODM gear from her body, tossing it to the side before reaching down to grip the off white fabric of her shirt. She didn't resist, still disoriented from the impact. 

He dragged her out to the middle of the street, where her supposed accomplices were now kneeled down and cuffed. Levi dropped her, allowing the Mike to put her with the rest. 

"Harlow!" A dark haired male cried out, taking in the girl's ruined appearance. "Jesus, what the fuck did he do-"

"Shut it, Hotch" She quickly snapped back, still breathing heavily as she looked at the cobblestone beneath her. She was obviously in pain, but she didn't let it stop her from glaring at the three men next to her. Levi's steel gaze slowly fell onto the other men, taking in their appearance while they waited for Erwin to arrive.

The one who had saved the girl was on the far left, his pale skin signifying that he wasn't in the sun often. His shoulder length brown hair hung in his face, and his eyes stayed closed the entire time. He was slim, yet muscular. He was most likely about Mike's height standing straight up if he had to guess. 

Next was an older man, a brimmed hat covering his face and eyes. He had probably given himself up willingly with how clean and orderly he looked. He reminded Levi of someone...and he hated it. He noted the wrinkles and strands of gray hair that peeked out from beneath the hat before moving onto the next one. 

Finally, there was the male who had called out to the girl when she was brought out. He was built similarly to the first male, but definitely more muscular and a few inches shorter. His blue eyes were locked onto the bleeding girl next to him like she was his entire world. His dark colored hair was sticking to his ivory face in some places despite being slicked back. 

"I take this is all of them?" The blonde commander's voice snapped Levi from his musings and brought his attention back to the situation at hand. He quickly gave a nod as the man stepped forward. "Odd. We were told there was only one culprit, but we have four he-"

"Why didn't you tell us it was scouts instead of MP's?!" The blue eyed one whisper yelled to the girl next to him, causing her to turn to him with the deadliest glare most of them had seen in awhile, shutting him up entirely. 

A few of the scouts couldn't help but laugh, only to be stopped by their captain's own harsh glare. They all looked away, letting Erwin resume his words. 

"We have four here...What are your names?" He questioned, looking down at them all. None of them replied, keeping their eyes turned downwards. Erwin sighed and moved onto another question. "Where did you get the ODM gear? Did you steal it?" A small giggle escaped the girl as Erwin finished speaking. 

"You wouldn't believe me if I told yo- AGH" Mike gripped the girl's hair and yanked her head upwards, showing her bruised and bleeding face off to the commander. Her maroon colored eyes were unfocused, her teeth bared in both pain and anger. Her face looked so familiar...to both the captain and the commander. But who was she?

"Answer the question already, Kid" Mike spoke in a bored tone, though his grip on her only tightened when she tried to struggle. It was honestly nostalgic to see for Levi, reminding him of when he was arrested himself. But he couldn't focus on that right now. 

"I don't wanna tell you now...bastard" She spat at the ground, blood mixing with her spit. That was the tipping point for Levi. 

Before she could even register what was going on, his leg was swung into her chest, causing all air in her lungs to vacate her body. He watched in slight amusement as she went limp, trying to regain her breath. 

"That was completely unnecessary, Captain Levi" Erwin rolled his eyes as he watched the display. Surprisingly, laughter erupted from the injured girl as she struggled to lift her head to meet the Captain's eyes. 

"...Y-you're a captain now...congrats, Mr. Levi" that phrase just clicked everything into place. Levi stared in slight shock as the girl smiled up at him. "Don't think dad would appreciate you kicking me though" she giggled, wincing as the short captain gripped her face. 

"Levi? What's going o-"

"Astare...Her name is Harlow Astare, remember?" He looked back at the commander, eyes narrowed. "This is Captain Weiland's daughter."

The girl, Harlow, looked away as the commander took a few steps forward, avoiding eyecontact once again. "Get her up...Levi, take her to the MP office. We'll question her privately" he announced. 

"Hey! Leave her alone!" The dark haired male next to her shouted out, trying to struggle against his restraints. 

"Shut up, Hotch. I'll kick your ass" the old man snapped towards the boy. His head lifted as he watched Harlow be yanked onto her feet and dragged off by the stoic captain. "She'll be fine."

Erwin turned towards the remaining three men, arms folded behind his back. "Now. Are you three willing to talk now?" He cocked an eyebrow in question.

"My name is Rictor. Rictor Hayes. The boy to my left is my son Hotch, and the one on my right is Fenrir. We recently relocated here from another district and expanded our business...Hired Harlow the moment we met her" the older man explained. 

"What exactly is your business, Mr. Hayes?" The commander kneeled infront of the old man, finally locking eyes with him. 

"Arms dealing and debt collecting" He openly admitted. "All those men who Harlow attacked? In debt to someone somewhere. Or they just pissed her off" he shrugged. His son was looking at him in pure shock, watching as his father confessed to their crimes. 

"If I had known you were going to just confess, I would've tried harder to get away" Fenrir spoke boredly, relaxing his body completely. "But if this is how we go out, I have no complaints" he obviously wasn't bothered by the idea of rotting in prison for the rest of his life. 

"I'll be handing you all over to the Military Police. Please cooperate with them. Who knows, maybe they'll allow you military service instead of prison time" Erwin turned on his heel as he spoke. 

"Wait!" The commander halted and looked back towards the dark haired male, Hotch. "What's going to happen to Harlow? Are you giving her to the MPs too? She doesn't deserve prison time, not like the rest of us" He pleaded, surprising the man. He really cared about her...at least it seemed that way. He decided to dig a little. Obviously the kid had information on Harlow, so he might as well.

"And why is that? She assaulted several men and caused destruction to public property. Not to mention she tried to shoot a military officer with the intent to kill" Erwin kneeled before the boy, watching his reactions closely. The kid looked like he was about to cry, but he didn't look away. 

"I don't know what happened to her before we met her, but...She had no other choice. Not with a gun to her head when she resisted" he glanced towards his father, who just simply kneeled there calmly. The old man didn't care now. They were all going down anyway. 

Erwin sighed and nodded, standing and looking down at Hotch, a small smile on his face. "I don't plan on letting her waste away in prison...but her punishment may be far worse than what you could think. But she'll live" and with that, the commander turned on his heel and began walking towards the MP building.

He had a recruit to "Interrogate". 

__________________

It took less than an hour to come to a verdict, and Erwin and Levi were soon strolling out of the courtroom.

"That went better than expected. I was worried they wouldn't even give us the opportunity for recruitment" 

"They aren't stupid. They remember His last name...they knew we wouldn't let her be imprisoned without a fight" Levi crossed his arms as he and the commander walked down the halls of the courthouse. They were heading for the holding cells, where their prospect sat in waiting. 

The girl was sitting in a chair, her leg cuffed to the wall with her arms chained behind her. Levi could really only take in how dirty she looked in that moment. Her hair had been taken out of its tie, hanging around her face and down to her shoulders, clinging to her skin where blood and sweat was prominent. Her clothes were absolutely filthy, probably on the account that the captain had practically launched her into actual trash. 

"Ms. Astare" Erwin's voice caused her head to rise, her eyes locking onto the two men outside her cell. "How are you feeling?" She didn't reply to him, just kept staring at him and Levi with a bored look. They knew exactly how she was feeling, seeing as they put her in here. The blonde man shook his head and moved onto his next question. 

"How's your father doing? Does he know y-" 

"They didn't tell you? Did no one tell you guys?" Her eyes went wide with slight panic as she spoke. Levi raised his eyebrow, leaning into the bars of the cell with serious eyes. 

"Tell us what, kid?" He spoke calmly, registering the hurt in her expression as a sad smile crossed her lips. He had a feeling in the back of his mind, but he didn't want to believe it...not until he heard it. 

"My father has been dead for five years" her words had even Erwin at a loss for words. "I knew mom kept it under wraps...but we were required to report the death, I think. I don't really remember. I was fifteen" she shook her head and looked away from the two men. 

Levi gripped the metal bars as he tried to process what had been said. Weiland had been like a mentor to him, helped him socialize with others in the corps. Even helped him get back on his feet after his best friends died. That man had been a ray of sunshine for everyone in his squad...and he was just gone. 

"How did he pass..?" Erwin's voice broke his concentration, causing his gray eyes to lock with Harlow's maroon ones. There was a brief moment of silence before an answer was given. As if she was trying to figure out what to say. She let out a sigh and leaned back in the chair, her eyes breaking from Levi's and moving to look at the ceiling. 

"He was murdered. I don't know who it was. I just found his body on my way home...he was shot in the back of the head" she admitted, closing her eyes. The two men could tell she was trying to not relive it all, so Erwin quickly spoke up. 

"I'm sorry for your loss. If we had known the corps would've done anything in their power to help yo-" she suddenly sat up and locked eyes with him, annoyance coating her face. 

"No offense, Sir. But I don't wanna hear that shit. Its not your fault you didn't know. Like I said, my mom kept it under wraps. She only told those who needed to know. Now, if I can change the subject. What's the verdict? What's my sentence?" She leaned back again, the jingling as she moved. 

"Yes. Yes of course" Erwin tried to give a calm smile as he prepared himself to explain. "You've been given a choice. You can either stay imprisoned, transferred to a larger prison of course, or..." he paused for a moment, locking eyes with the younger female before him. "Or you can join us in the scouting legion" the way her eyes seemed to light up practically answered for her, but he needed to hear it. 

"..why me? Please tell me its not out of pity for my dad or something cause-" Levi gripped the bars tightly again, causing Harlow to silence herself. 

"This isn't about your father. You're skilled with gear, and you have promise. You'd be a waste in prison" Erwin spoke from behind Levi, causing the raven haired male to loosen his grip and relax slightly. "There is a condition with your joining of the corps though. We need all the information you're willing to give on your accomplices"

There was little to no hesitation as Harlow locked eyes with Erwin once again. He was surprised by the determination in her eyes, as if she wanted this all along. 

"Whatcha wanna know?"


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harlow makes a bad impression on her first day. Ouch

"This is where y'all stay?" 

"Is there a problem?" Erwin looked back at their newest recruit, who was yards behind them, looking up at the castle-like stronghold. She seemed to be looking for something in the structure. She suddenly smirked and hiked her bag higher up onto her shoulder. 

"No. No problem. I like it" she resumed her steps, though not without a raised eyebrow and a 'tch' from the commander and Captain respectively. But, any thoughts or questions they had were quickly halted by a commotion coming from the halls in front of them. 

"LEVI! ERWIN! YOU'RE BA- WHO IS THIS CUTIE?!" A certain titan obsessed scout was now excitedly skipping towards Harlow, the shorter female looking around in confusion. 

"Calm down, shitty glasses. You're gonna scare her off" Levi grumbled, pulling the girl back by the collar before Hanji could get their hands on her. 

"Hanji, this is Harlow Astare. Harlow, this is section commander Hanji Zoe" Erwin gave a fond smile towards the section commander. "I trust you got my notice this morning? About her situation?" 

"I got it" a gruff voice called from around the corner. Harlow tensed up a bit at the deep voice, having not expected it. "I told everyone who needs to know...so this is her" the behemoth who rounded the corner and approached the group had her in slight awe. He was huge, easily taller than Erwin, with shaggy, dirty blonde hair. His sage green eyes stared down at her with an intimidating intensity. 

_'What the hell are they feeding these people…'_ she thought, leaning back a bit as he bent down to be at eye level with her. He suddenly inhaled right next to her face. Did he...did he just sniff her? She was a little confused, especially with the satisfied look on his face, but decided to return the favor, sniffing at him right back. 

Erwin bit back a chuckle as Miche froze up, blinking in confusion. She...she sniffed him back? That was definitely new. 

"By the walls, that was SO CUTE!" Hanji suddenly exclaimed, practically jumping onto Harlow and hugging her. "Is your nose as good as Miche's? What's he smell like?!" They looked directly into the girl's eyes, making Harlow feel a little awkward. 

"Uh...he smelled okay, i guess? Can you get off me?" She tried to push Hanji off as she spoke, and luckily the overly excited scout complied and let go. 

"Harlow" Erwin called out to her again, nodding towards the tall blonde who sniffed her. "This is Section Commander Miche Zacharias. He may seem a little off, but his nose is as sharp as ever. He just likes to smell new people" 

Harlow nodded a bit, adjusting the bag on her shoulder. She felt a little out of place in this group of officers, especially when she was still in civilian clothes. 

"It's good to meet you guys, but um...can I get changed now? Faster I do so, the faster I can get training or something, right?" She looked towards the floor, eyes glued to the boots around her. 

"Ah. Yes. Of course. I'll take you to your room" Erwin quickly led Harlow past the others, leaving the three officers staring after her. 

"She's something else, isn't she?" Miche looked towards Levi, who looked as irritated as ever. 

"A brat is what she is"

_____________________

Day one of training started extremely...harsh. 

Levi had woken her up with a violent kick to the door at 6 a.m., causing her to jolt out of bed. She had dressed in her uniform as quickly as possible, opting for an off white t-shirt instead of a button down (much to Levi's obvious distaste). A pale blue bandana was wrapped around her neck, something that had belonged to her father.

The officers seemed to recognize it, but kept their mouths shut on the matter. 

Breakfast went by smoothly, Harlow opting to sit by herself instead of accepting the several offers from other scouts. She had quickly found out that it was Levi's squad that had been offering a seat, and she made it a point to at least remember their faces for future reference. 

When training actually started (Lead and Watched over by Section Commander Miche), it wasn't what Harlow had expected. Where she assumed there would be running and ODM training, there were 1v1 sparring matches. It was surprising, but not something she would complain about. Years of taking down people to collect money was going to come in handy.

She had been partnered up with some guy named Oluo, whom she recognized from the group that had been trying to get her to sit with them. He was definitely odd looking, and he had an extreme amount of confidence in himself. Harlow didn't exactly care about what he was saying, just wanting to get this done and over with. So, she kept her eyes on Petra, who was playing referee, as she tied her hair up with the bandana around her neck. Her jacket was tossed off and aside as she finally tuned into what her opponent was saying.

"Don't be too hard on yourself when you lose, okay? You're new, but don't expect me to go ea-" as soon as Petra gave the signal, Harlow slung her fist into his jaw, cutting him off mid-sentence and causing him to bite his tongue. As soon as he hit the ground, her boot was firmly planted into his chest, holding him down. 

The match was quickly called, a few of the other scouts watching with amused grins. From what she heard, Oluo had a habit of running his mouth and acting like a certain shortie. Despite his annoying demeanor, Harlow stuck a tanned hand out to him with a lazy smile. Within seconds, he was back on his feet and receiving a pat on the shoulder from the girl. 

"I'd suggest shutting your mouth next time. Or at least paying attention to your opponent" He huffed and held his hand over his mouth, trying to hide the large amount of blood leaking from it. He was escorted to the medical office by some other scout, the brunette waving a little as she collected her jacket. 

"Um. I'm not sure how this usually goes? Do I keep going until I lose or do I get back in line?" Petra seemed surprised at her question, but she gave a friendly smile and rubbed the back of her head. 

"You can get back in line for now. The captain usually has us rotate" She replied, earning a nod from Harlow before walking off to the back of the rows of scouts. She plopped herself down onto the ground, resting her arms on her knees and taking a slight breather. 

'What's the point in all this...we're not fighting other humans right?' She thought, watching another pair duke it out in the marked off ring. She shrugged off the thought. It didn't matter to her. Her eyes slid closed as a breeze rolled by, her lungs graciously taking in the fresh air. 

Her thoughts ventured to the stories her father had told her about his fellow scouts. He had explained them as if there were two separate types of soldiers in their ranks: suicidal maniacs with little to no self preservation instincts, or dreamers who became heartless cowards the minute they were faced with the horrifying beasts that lay outside the walls. When she had asked him what side he was on, he had only chuckled and avoided eye contact.

"You don't want to know that answer, Harlow" He had replied, leaving her to wonder what he meant. She entertained the thought of asking one of the veteran officers what her father was like when he was here, but she figured she'd be lied to in favor of saving his honor. She let out a snort at that, taking another deep breath of the fresh air. 

She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice everyone else straighten up into attention, nor did she notice the man they were saluting. And it didn't hit her until a pair of boots were stopped in front of her. 

"Cadet Astare" her eyes shot open and up to the man in front of her. The clean cut blonde man was looking down at her with an unreadable expression, but she wasn't bothered by it too much. 

"Oh. Hey commander. Whatcha doin her-" a boot slammed into her face with enough force to knock her over. She could feel the throbbing in her cheek and the blood pooling in her mouth as she turned to see who had attacked her. "What the fuck? What is-" her words caught in her throat when the harsh gray eyes of the notorious captain locked with hers. 

"That was completely unnecessary, Levi" Erwin sighed, but he made no move to reprimand the man. 

"That is no way to talk to your superior officer. Not to mention your blatant act of disrespect by sitting on your ass when the entire group was addressed. Get up" He snarled, arms now folded behind his back. Harlow narrowed her eyes and pushed herself up off the ground, hand swiftly curled into a fist and thumped over her heart. Just like she was taught as a child. 

"So you do know how to salute properly. Old bastard did something right in raising you I guess" he sneered, earning an eye roll from the commander. 

"Levi. I think that's enough. It's only her first da-" before Erwin could finish his statement, a mix of spit and blood hit the captain's boots. His eyes widened in almost horror, and he could expect the expression of the scouts behind him were the same. Harlow's eyes were dull, bored even. As if what she had done was acceptable. 

She didn't move to fight back when he suddenly swung his leg into her side, knocking her into the dirt. Her face rested against the dirt, taking every kick to her ribs and stomach without more than a pained grunt here or there. She focused her eyes on Erwin, peering up at him through the hair that fell from its tie, but there was no feeling in it. As if she expected this. She knew her actions would get her kicked into the ground, and she welcomed it. 

"That's enough, captain" The commander's voice was stern, and the ravenette halted his motions the minute the words were spoken.

"Tch...little brat. Think before you act" he grumbled, turning away and walking off, shoving past the bewildered Miche. 

The sandy blonde behemoth had been watching since the first kick, having smelt blood from his post at the front of the training yard, and he had been silently watching in confusion as Harlow took the beating in silence. He slowly stepped closer, not sure whether he should help the girl up at this point, especially when she was under Erwin's scrutinizing gaze. 

The other blonde stared down at the girl, taking in her beaten form. The blood leaking from her lips had seeped into the white t-shirt she was wearing, and the mark on her cheek had already begun to darken with bruising. A mix of dirt, blood, and spit from Levi's boots had taken residency on her clothing. Her hair had been mostly knocked out of its tie, hanging in her face and sticking in places. 

But she didn't move. She was breathing, heavily, in fact, but unmoving. As if she was waiting for the command. 

His eyes drifted to Miche, who was just standing there in silence. "Take her to the ward and get her patched up" he ordered, turning on his heel. "I'll take over morning training for you."

"Do you want her in your office after? For punishment?" The tree-like man asked, not moving from his spot just yet. 

"No. I think this was enough of a punishment. I expect her back out here for afternoon training if possible" and with that, He was off shouting orders, and the rest of the scouts were sent off on a run. 

Miche nodded and crouched down, gently lifting the girl up by her arms and stood her up, letting her put her full weight on him. She groaned a little in discomfort, trying to protect her injured sides from connecting with his arms. Other than that, she didn't object, keeping her eyes forward. He took a quiet sniff at her as he helped her inside. 

Her normal scent of citrus and fresh rain was clouded with blood and dirt. There was something else there, though: contentment. As if getting her ass kicked was something she had deserved or needed. It didn't sit right with him. 

"You shouldn't be spitting on your superior officers" his gruff voice seemed to snap her out of her slight stupor, but she didn't reply at all. Just continued staring forward. He sighed and halted his steps. "I'm serious, Astare. It's your first day and you already got your shit kicked in" he couldn't help the concern from slipping into his voice. Maybe it was because he had been friends with her father, maybe it was just his concern for a new cadet, but he couldn't help feeling worried. 

"Are the doctor people here pretty?" She suddenly spoke, her words confusing Miche. 

"Uh...I suppose some are? Why?" He cocked an eyebrow as he looked down at her. 

"If I'm gonna get poked and prodded at, I wanna at least have something pretty to look at. Who knows, maybe they'll pity me and I'll get a kiss on all my wounds~" She joked, looking up at him, Maroon locking with sage green. A memory played in his head as he stared into her eyes. 

_"Who knows, maybe they'll pity me and I'll get a kiss for each of my wounds~" the blonde man next to Miche teased, limping as he was supported by the much taller man._

_"You're that desperate, Astare? Don't you have a girl back home?" Miche rolled his eyes, practically dragging the injured man to the infirmary._

_"She's not an affectionate lady, my Selene. I don't think she'll mind if I get a kiss here or there. Though, the only girl I wanna see right now is my little one. She's so cute, Miche! Her chubby little cheeks. I'll have to bring you to meet her one day. You'd love her" The man cooed, causing Miche to roll his eyes._

"Whatever you say, Astare" He replied, repeating the exact words he did all those years ago. She only gave him an uneasy smile, cluing him in that he had been staring. He shook his head and started walking again, eyes locked on the end of the hallway again. 

Luckily for Harlow, the person who was treating her was pretty. At least to Miche. It was Hanji, who had been rushing around the room when they walked in, trying to find something to clean up a mess she made in her lab. 

"Woah. Did you get kicked by a horse or something?!" The glasses wearing scientist exclaimed, looking down at Harlow's slowly bruising and swelling cheek. She winced when their hands gently grazed over the mark, her own hands gripping the sheets of the cot she had been sat down on. 

"She pissed shortie off. He kicked her ass" Miche answered for her from his place against the wall. Before they could ask their next question, his mouth was already moving. "She spat on his boots.".

"That'll do it. Alright. Let's see where else he got ya" Harlow reluctantly peeled off her jacket and pulled up her shirt, the fabric resting right below her breasts. The bespectacled brunette prodded at her ribs, finding no serious injuries. "Nothing serious. I think he just bruised ya. Try not to put too much pressure on your ribs though" Hanji smiled at her, picking a few pieces of grass out of her already messy hair. 

Harlow stared in silence for a moment before looking up towards Miche with a grin. "You were right! The doctors here are pretty!"


End file.
